


Conflict Resolution Within The Love Square: Miraculouslycool's "Her Light To His Darkness"

by Keyseeker



Series: Fanfic Analyses [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Conflict Resolution, F/M, Meta, There are a few fics that send my analyzer whirring, fanfic analysis, fanfiction analysis, not fanfiction, spoilers through chapter 3, yes another one of these
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25159570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keyseeker/pseuds/Keyseeker
Summary: I really love how Miraculouslycool handles fights and disagreements between Ladybug and Chat Noir in her story “Her Light to His Darkness”, especially the big one at the beginning of the story. It’s very tense and things even get a little nasty, but even so, they don’t lose sight of why they’re truly upset in the first place, nor how much they care for each other – at least, not for long. And the way they reconcile contains a valuable lesson in how to handle conflicts more generally.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Fanfic Analyses [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883209
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	Conflict Resolution Within The Love Square: Miraculouslycool's "Her Light To His Darkness"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [miraculouslycool](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculouslycool/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Her Light to His Darkness](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23983969) by [miraculouslycool](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculouslycool/pseuds/miraculouslycool). 



I really love how Miraculouslycool handles fights and disagreements between Ladybug and Chat Noir in her story “Her Light to His Darkness”, especially the big one at the beginning of the story. It’s very tense and things even get a little nasty, but even so, they don’t lose sight of why they’re truly upset in the first place, nor how much they care for each other – at least, not for long. And the way they reconcile contains a valuable lesson in how to handle conflicts more generally.

The story begins with Ladybug being upset at Chat for being incapacitated and for acting like everything’s fine once he’s brought back.

_He was grinning. He was acting like she just hadn't seen him die for no reason , and like she hadn't been fighting by herself for the past half hour._

_"Pound it!" He raised his fist, not noticing the inner turmoil she was experiencing._

_"Are you serious right now?!" She yelled in his face._

_He visibly flinched, his jaw dropping a little, but he didn't drop his fist._

_"You go and throw yourself at the villain without thinking and you just come up to me and act like nothing HAPPENED?!" She shouted._

_"Ladybug, wait, I-"_

_She didn't want to listen to whatever explanation he was going to give. She didn't have time for any of this. She had been telling him since the beginning of time to not get himself killed, and he NEVER listened to her. (Chapter 1)_

Right away there’s a lot of conflict and tension. She hates him getting hurt, hates him not BEING THERE, even if it’s not really something he had a choice in. So she yells at him about it.

But while she’s clearly upset at him… well, with the emphasis on him “dying for no reason” and not getting himself killed, it’s pretty clear that while she’s acting angry, that’s not her core emotion. It’s Anger Born Of Worry. Anger’s currently easier to cope with, so that’s what she goes with. Plus I suspect that she thinks deep down that her being angry at him might make him more reluctant to throw himself into extreme danger for her sake, while just expressing worry about it probably wouldn’t, or that he’d be even MORE likely to do so. That just generally, distancing herself from him might help keep him safe.

It’s affected Adrien too. He’s not exactly happy with how she’s snapping at him, how instead of the close relationship (friendship relationship, not romantic) they had before seems to be devolving into just being reluctant coworkers. But while part of him’s upset about being snapped at (because no duh, that’s unpleasant for anyone, and he didn’t really deserve it) another part of it is worry. Because he HAS tried to reach out for her, he can tell she’s emotionally struggling, but she’s unwilling to accept his help.

_"I've tried to talk to her about it, you know." Adrien mumbled. "I've tried asking how things are going. She just changes the subject or yells at me for not focusing."_

_"To be fair, you ask those things when you are supposed to be fighting." Plagg said._

_"When else do I get to talk to her??" Adrien snapped. "She ignores me during patrols other than to order me around. At least I haven't changed like she has." (Chapter 1)_

Plagg’s trying to keep the peace here, throw in some reasons as to why she’s acting the way she is, which is good. It’s often important when trying to defuse arguments to consider the other person’s point of view. But Adrien’s still right, too. If he doesn’t get another chance to talk to her… well, he has to do it when he can.

Adrien starts brainstorming ideas about what she needs, what to do about it.

_"Maybe....maybe she needs some distraction." Adrien said suddenly._

_"Distraction?? Don't tell me you're going to ask her on a date!"_

_"And what if I am?"_

_"She!! Doesn't!! Love!! You!!"_

_"No, this is different. I'm only going to ask her to that ball the Mayor is holding in honor of Ladybug and Chat Noir being around for three years. This is just for a change in environment. Nothing else."_

_"I'm not sure she'll see it that way...." Plagg said nervously._

_"No, Plagg, this is perfect!" Adrien said, perking up. "She just needs a little bit of fun after the stress she's been through. It will definitely help." He grew more hopeful. "I'm asking her tonight." (Chapter 1)_

So maybe not the best possible idea. But what he’s doing here is important, is good. Even though he’s not happy with how Ladybug’s acting right now, he’s still focusing on what to do to help, rather than just stewing and being upset about it. He recognizes she’s stressed and is throwing things at the wall to see what might stick, what might help. He’s at least trying.

Cutting over to Ladybug, she ruminates about how she’d acted with him.

_Ladybug paced the rooftops, muttering to herself._

_She had been extremely short with Chat Noir over the few weeks, and she knew it._

_Maybe he shouldn't have been so reckless, but he also didn't deserve to get yelled for it. (Chapter 1)_

I love this. Her recognition that she went too far, even if she had a point. They’re friends, and with these sequences with both Ladybug and Adrien, you can really see it. That they care about each other and aren’t happy with how things’ve been going down. That they want to help things get to a better place, to at least cut down on the unpleasantness.

And when Chat arrives…

_"Are you okay?" Chat Noir asked her, when she didn't answer._

_Ladybug didn't know the answer to that question._

_Many people asked her that question. Adrien, Alya, Nino, Kagami, Luka....she could nod and say yes, she indeed was fine._

_Chat Noir asked her that question too. And yet, she couldn't answer him. (Chapter 1)_

Even being unhappy with her, THIS is the first thing Chat asks. “Are you okay?”. He recognizes that this is why she’s been snappy and withdrawn, that it roots from her most likely NOT being okay. He talked about this earlier, but it’s not like she could hear any of that.

This is his first priority; checking in on her, helping her. And it makes sense for him! When he saw Lila in Chameleon, the first thing he assumed was that she was having problems and that’s why she was acting the way she was and offered to help her. When his father mistreats him, he puts it down to stress and tries to give him benefit of the doubt and not to be too hard on him. When Felix began rooting around in his room and was mean to him, his first thought was how he was stressed and grieving his father and tried not to hold it against him too much.

Of course, in each of these examples the person turned out to be a much greater threat than he originally assumed, but the overall principle is a good one; to remember that when people snap and get angry, it’s often because they’re stressed and hurting and aren’t at their best. Doesn’t make it right or fair, but it makes people human. And especially at a time like this, with most countries around the world suffering from Covid-19 along with the effects of economic devastation that come from it, a little compassion and understanding goes a long way. A lot of people are hurting. Yelling is often unhelpful; but calm discussion and trying to reach and understanding may actually improve things, instead of just making everyone involved more miserable.

Ladybug apologizes to Chat, and he says it’s fine. But then comes discussion of the ball.

_"Yeah? I don't want to go this year." Ladybug rested her chin underneath her palm. "Go without me, if you want to. Say I got sick or something."_

_"Ladybug..." Chat Noir said in a low voice. "I know things are hard right now, but that doesn't mean you have to shut yourself away from everyone." (Chapter 1)_

He knows what she’s doing, even if she doesn’t want to recognize it herself. And he’s trying to stage an intervention of sorts, but… well, that’s not exactly working.

_Ladybug was getting more annoyed by the minute. "I don't want to go, Chat Noir. Drop it."_

_"Why not? What's wrong with having a bit of fun once in a while? It will do you some good, especially with everything that's going on." He hadn't meant to be harsh, but he was getting fed up too._

_"Don't you dare patronize me." Ladybug snapped, getting up and staring him down. "And fun? Fun?? We can't have fun!! We have a job to do here! I can't go to parties and waste time like you!"_

_"Like 'me' ?" He growled._

_She had hit a nerve, and she hadn't meant to, but she couldn't change what she said. (Chapter 1)_

She’d apologized, she’d realized she’d been unfair… but well, she’s still stressed, honestly both of them are, and they hadn’t actually settled the previous issues. So while they’d come to a sort of truce before, once tempers start flaring, things break down again.

And this kind of thing will happen! It is, sadly, a normal thing when stressed. You calm down initially, but if the same issues are lingering… well it can easily flare back up again.

_You actually think I'm asking you to go because I want to slack off??" He got up as well, brushing off the dust from his suit._

_"What's wrong with having a bit of fun once in a while?" She quoted him. "Hey, you're the one who said it."_

_"I was only asking because I thought it would get you to chill out for a while!" He shot back._

_"Chill out?? What do you mean 'chill out'?" She asked, affronted._

_"I can't even have a decent conversation with you these days without getting scared that you are going to blow up!" He accused, jabbing a finger in her direction. "No matter what I do or say you find a way to turn it into a shouting match!! I can't even invite you to a ball without getting yelled at, excuse me for thinking about both our sakes-"_

_"What do you expect me to do other than yell?! You are always joking around and punning at the most inappropriate times!! You get yourself killed -"_

_"I get myself killed so that YOU don't!!"_

_"I don't care!! It doesn't change the fact that you die and I'm left to pick up the pieces by myself!!" She shouted, and Chat recoiled, like he had been slapped. (Chapter 1)_

She’s taking pot shots at this point, and she KNEW that this wasn’t great, with her thinking about how he didn’t deserve to be yelled at earlier, but… she’s still exploding at him. I get the sense reading this that she just… doesn’t really know how to stop. That it’s her stress taking over at this point, with her having legitimate problems with these things, but knowing they don’t warrant this response, and yet… the floodgates are open. All her pain and stress and anxiety’s flowing out and hitting Chat. He’s there, and she was already unhappy with him – though the dying thing’s more ‘anger born of worry’ than anything else – so he bears the brunt of it.

Chat’s also lashing back a bit, though more in response to Ladybug than because of him venting unrelated stress at her. Things haven’t really changed as much for him anyway besides the changes with Ladybug; he was never close to Fu and he’s not the Guardian. Mostly he just isn’t phrasing things the best way he can, with “chill out” for instance – but it’s an understandable response. He’s got his own issues, and neither of them are at their best right now. They’re both too wound up.

But then there’s a crack in her anger.

_"I don't care!! It doesn't change the fact that you die and I'm left to pick up the pieces by myself!!" She shouted, and Chat recoiled, like he had been slapped._

_She let out a tiny sniffle, it wasn't loud, but it was significant enough for him to notice the first crack in the walls she had built up. (Chapter 1)_

Before this she was more angry, and she’s still got some of that but… this shows her hurt more clearly. And while before she was hostile, which was sparking some hostility in Chat as well (hostility breeds hostility, which really ain’t good for settling conflicts), now she’s more clearly, more obviously just in (emotional) pain. Which gets him to calm down a bit, since it’s pretty obvious again that it’s not really directed at HIM.

_"Ladybug-"_

_"And that's not all! How can you expect me to have a smile on my face when everything is crumbling around me?! My best friend nearly caught me holding the box today!! My parents and friends are worried about me and I can't tell them anything!"_

_"What about me, then?" He said, his voice at a normal level again. "Yeah, you can't tell them anything, but you won't tell me."_

_"I - you -" Ladybug stammered, but he had a point too. And she realised it._

_"I'm just trying to make sure that we aren't broken too." Chat muttered. "I try to talk to you, you avoid the subject, you vent out your frustrations, cool, I'm ok with that too, I try to help you ignore things and help you catch a break, I get yelled at. This....is there an end to this? Will we ever go back to the people we were before?" (Chapter 1)_

The bit about her having a smile on her face was actually kind of ironic. Because that IS Adrien’s response to stressful situations a lot of the time, with only letting himself look a little sad for maybe a minute to show what he’s going through. It’s mostly as Chat that he lets that mask fall and allows himself to vent instead of bottling it up and pretending that everything’s fine.

But Marinette’s not as used to doing that, though she’s definitely getting more practice lately. She’s more used to being able to break down and tell people what’s wrong and to receive support for it. That’s not as feasible right now, since these are Ladybug problems rather than Marinette ones.

Which is why Chat points out that she CAN talk to him about this.

I like Chat’s paragraph at the end here, acknowledging her needing to vent and being able to deal with it somewhat, but… well, it really ISN’T just that she’s snapping at him, he can take some of that if he needs to, but it’s impacting their relationship as a whole.

_"Face it. We've changed. The situation has changed."_

_"I haven't." He said quietly. "I still want to help you. I just wish you don't cast me off when I am only trying to help. It's not making matters easier for either of us."_

_Ladybug didn't answer._

_If she did let him in....he would have to suffer through the consequences too. For her mistake._

_And if she let him in, she would have to let go of the wall she built for herself._

_And she didn't want to let that go. Stepping out of her comfort zone, the zone with her responsibilities, and her stupid feelings for her crush and her mistakes into whatever was there outside of it...._

_She was fine on her own. She became a guardian on her own, and she could get through it on her own. Even if that meant being alone. (Chapter 1)_

And here’s the deeper reason for why she’s pushing him away. Not because of anything he’s doing. But because of her fear of screwing up and putting him in danger. It’s something she’s struggled with since she first became Ladybug back in Origins, with not thinking she was capable of being a superhero, that she’d just mess up and drag everyone else down. Her self-esteem grew considerably over time, but the Miracle Queen debacle and Fu’s subsequent memory loss dragged it right back down again.

She is at least self-aware enough to realize that that factors into her actions here, into why she’s pushing Chat away. But she’s still convinced herself she’s safer both pushing him away, and in her ‘comfort zone’, as she puts it, instead of trying to change things within her life. Which makes sense. During stressful situations it’s common to cling to the familiar, even if that familiar thing isn’t the healthiest option. It’s a coping mechanism.

So she proposes that both of them should just keep to themselves.

_"We should..." Her voice broke for second there. "We should really stick to helping each other out only during battles. And leave the rest of the other person's business to themselves."_

_Chat Noir stilled. "What?"_

_"Don't give me that look. We're superheroes. It's our job. I'm a guardian. That's MY job. I can handle it on my own. I can't tell or do much with you anyway without jeopardizing my identity." (Chapter 1)_

This isn’t entirely the case. She definitely CAN’T handle it entirely on her own, not healthily at any rate, but she needs to tell herself she can. And while it’s possible her identity may be jeapordized by telling him more, by opening up to him, since her problems here are mostly Ladybug-related, it’s a fairly small risk.

But for the stated reasons before, she just… can’t do that. So she pushes him away instead. It’s self-destructive and unhealthy, but is unfortunately a pretty normal, realistic response, especially with the guilt for Master Fu’s fate weighing her down. I suspect that deep down, she might not believe she deserves that support either.

She’s not the only one affected by her decision though. Chat is too.

_His brows underneath the mask scowled heavily. "So what you are saying is...you don't trust me enough to tell me things?"_

_"I don't HAVE to tell you anything." She narrowed her eyes._

_"Yeah, just enough to keep me at arm's length, just like everyone else in your civilian life, I presume." He snarled. (Chapter 1)_

She doesn’t know this, not knowing about his civilian life, but this whole strategy is a bit of a sore spot for him. It’s too similar to what his father’s done, pushing him out when he’s hurting, when Adrien tries to help him, and not trusting him with anything. And while she has her own issues right now – and for good reason – so does Chat. And well… while he might be able to understand why she’s snappy and stressed and lashing out, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt, or that he’ll just take all of it. He has to with his father – he’s been conditioned to accept it all, because if he raises objections, even mildly, he’s shut down and punished, without much recourse. With Ladybug, he’s more comfortable showing her when he’s angry or telling her off, because he knows it’s safe to do so.

_"Don't give me that, okay?? I'm going through enough! This isn't about you!" Ladybug snapped._

_Chat glared at her coldly for a while, trying to find a way to reply and one-up her, so she'd realise that he wasn't always going to put up with being pushed around._

_"Fine." He said, bitterly, turning his back on her. "We'll see each other during the next Akuma. Whenever that is."_

_"Really? You're giving me the cold shoulder now?" She said disdainfully. "I told you, this. isn't. personal!"_

_"Too bad." He scoffed. "It is to me." He extended his staff._

_"Fine, leave then! Go on, continue being childish!" She said angrily._

_"Good night, Ladybug." He called her by her full name, which was what he was using to address her for quite a while, just to rub it in even more. He didn't say anything more. She wasn't worth it. He leaped off the roof in the direction of his home. (Chapter 1)_

While he’ll show her he’s angry - he’s not bottling it up like usual - he’s still not doing so disproportionately, mostly just being cold, returning some of the same feelings that she’s been showing him. Hostility breeds hostility, and this is no exception.

Ladybug’s right. This ISN’T about Chat. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect him all the same. Her relationship with him is collateral damage right now. Something which both Ladybug and Chat Noir emphasize, with Ladybug saying it isn’t personal, and Chat emphasizing that for HIM, it is.

Also right now, Ladybug doesn’t seem to know quite WHAT she wants. She’s unhappy with Chat for glaring at her, and generally being cold after she emphasized putting distance between them and being cold with him before this. He ended up agreeing with what she asked for, he just wasn’t happy with her about it.

And that contradiction makes sense! Because while she’s purposely pushing him away, part of her knows she needs, and desires for him to be, closer to her, for her to open up to him. But since she’s stressed and angry already, that mostly manifests at being upset either way, especially if he responds with any anger in turn.

Not that Chat’s perfect here either – he IS angry, and DOES want her to realize how this is hurting him, and somewhat to feel that in turn. But he doesn’t go too far with it, mostly just emphasizing that there IS this wall between them now.

And to a certain extent, I think this is a healthy reaction from Chat, if an unpleasant one. He’s not lashing out much, but mostly drawing away, distancing himself from her. And while he knows that she’s going through hard times, he does need to protect himself as well. And he’s only human.

This entire argument is ugly. It’s unpleasant. It isn’t fair.

But it’s also _realistic_. People AREN’T going to be at their best in these kinds of circumstances, and they will hurt one another, even though they care about each other. If you expect people to be 100% kind and caring under such circumstances… Well. Few people will meet that mark.

Later on during the school day, she’s still dwelling on the fight.

_Chat had never spoken to her that way., She thought sadly as she fiddled with her long, single ponytail._

_Not even in the last month had he snapped back. Of course, she wished that they could be what they used to be, she wanted that more than anything, but things weren't the same, and could never be again._

_She couldn't even talk to her own friends properly anymore, not without keeping an external filter over her words, carefully corkscrewing all her stress away so that she wouldn't burst._

_That box was her responsibility. She was the caretaker of all those kwamis. No one else's._

_He needed to realise that.(Chapter 2)_

And here, now that she’s calmer, she’s back to focusing mostly on needing to take responsibility for everything herself. With how much of this seems to be bound up in her worry and guilt over Master Fu, I wonder whether she thinks that maybe if she was more responsible, more focused on purely Miraculous matters and less on personal matters, whether things would’ve gone better? Which… ok may not be totally incorrect, but it’s really Hawkmoth’s fault, NOT hers, and not letting herself have a personal life or close connections is just going to be harmful in the end. But it makes sense as a guilt response.

Chat was right and Marinette HAS been pushing away everyone in her civilian life as well. But in these circumstances, with tempers gone and the Miraculous-related issues out of sight, there conversation as Adrien and Marinette goes a lot better.

This is something I really love. Because even though they were both stressed before and their fight as LadyNoir got a little nasty even, it’s not forever. They still get to talk things out, to hash things out, as Adrienette, even if it’s in a bit of a roundabout way.

_Adrien would be lying if he said he came over just to study. He had been watching Marinette carefully over the days, and with every passing hour, the strong, brave, outspoken girl he knew seemed to be folding into a smaller, hollow version of her former self._

_He had tried to approach her, just like all her friends, but she had shrugged it off, and always said she was fine._

_He knew more than anyone how familiar he found her tight-lipped, constricted smile, and it wasn't just from having led a life as a model. It was also from three years of being Ladybug's partner._

_And hell, if Ladybug was just going to remain stubborn and not let him in, the least he could do is be there for one of his oldest and dearest friends. (Chapter 2)_

I love how perceptive Adrien is here, and that even if it’s not going so well with Ladybug, he’s still trying to reach out, to help, and that he can read her body language so well. Because dammit, he may not know she’s Ladybug, but he still knows his partner.

And also while he’s unhappy with Ladybug, it’s not in a “she’s a malicious person” way. He does still understand her frustrations and wants to be there for her, which is the root of the problem. Even with her insulting him a few times, he knows what the root problem is and keeps himself focused on what he was originally upset about.

So he asks her what’s wrong.

_"Marinette, you can talk to me." Adrien said, placing his hand on top of hers. "Please, I've been where you are, and believe me, talking about it helps."_

_Marinette looked like she was filtering her thoughts, trying to figure out what to say._

_He also realised he hadn't noticed how small her hands were._

_"I sort of had a falling out with one of my friends." She finally said. (Chapter 2)_

I’m guessing she responds better to Adrien here than Chat partly because she’s already calm, and partly because her anxiety right now isn’t centered around him (ironically enough). She’s already keeping herself from lashing out at anyone in her civilian life, and that includes Adrien, which also helps. Adrien’s not the one she feels like she needs to push away in order to keep him safe, whether from a mistake like with Master Fu, or in an effort to keep him from getting hurt or dying for her sake. He’s a neutral party who to her knowledge, cannot affect the situation going on with Chat or the kwamis or anything Miraculous at all, which makes him safe to use as a sounding board in a way that talking with someone who DOES have the power to alter things like that, isn’t.

Adrien confesses that he’s in a similar situation, and Marinette explains what’s going on in her own situation. Very generally of course.

I love how Miraculouslycool compounds the secret identity irony here, with them talking out the fight they had with their partners to each other, and them both giving good advice that still mostly agrees with what the other person was doing.

_"Wait...so..." Adrien said, rubbing his chin. "This guy is trying to reach out to you, but you don't want to because you are too stressed out?"_

_"I know it sounds bad." Marinette winced. "He and I used to be close...but we drifted apart over the last few weeks. We just didn't see each other that often and life got in the way. And I know he's trying to help, I'm just not ready. And I know I should accept that he's trying to make me forget but-"_

_"No, you don't have to reach out to him if you don't want to." Adrien said seriously. "Your feelings are valid too. You're obviously under the weather for a really long time, and if you want to deal with that on your own, then he shouldn't be stopping you." (Chapter 2)_

It is funny how Adrien agrees with Marinette, with her wanting to deal with her stress and her issues on her own. And at first glance it might seem like he’s just being hypocritical based on his own personal feelings not being involved here, and while that’s not _entirely_ incorrect, there’s more to the story.

With the way Marinette phrased it, it sounds relatively amicable and calm, which it generally wasn’t. That’s part of the reason behind why the fight went as badly as it did; both their tempers started flaring. Plus with what Marinette’s saying of it here, it sounds like the issues affecting Marinette don’t have an effect on Chat beyond him worrying about her, which isn’t the case. The Miraculous issues still do concern him, and they’re partners; they need to work together frequently, and work together well. There’s a limit to how much they CAN distance from each other.

It’s a pretty normal thing when relaying a situation to someone else, especially since if you disagree with someone, you naturally tend to believe that your case is better, and to then give your perspective in those terms. It’s still accurate overall, just with a particular spin on it.

Adrien’s general perspective on the situation isn’t entirely dissimilar as his perspective as Chat either, once he goes into more detail about it.

_"Really?" She still sounded unconvinced._

_"Listen, no one knows or understands the pressure you go through more than you." Adrien said, his eyes narrowing as his thoughts traveled to his father. "I say keep your space from him. If he's a true friend, he'll understand. That being said....do you think he'll reject you if you do reach out now?"_

_Marinette looked away, biting her lower lip as she pondered on his words._

_"He...he can be very stubborn. And sometimes he puts his pride before the situation at hand but...no. He wouldn't. He is not heartless. Far from it, actually."_

_"Well then, there you have it. He definitely has good intentions, and I'm sure you are aware of that. With a little time and space, he will come around. I'm sure of it." (Chapter 2)_

He still advocates reaching out when she’s ready, if she thinks he’d respond well, and is still very understanding towards the perspective of this person he (hypothetically) doesn’t know. Which makes sense. Adrien likes to see the best in people and is very understanding overall, which extends to strangers as well.

In his case, Adrien intentionally left out the detail of exactly how stressed Ladybug is, though for a good reason. The bit about her being stressed gets across anyway, with his explanation of the circumstances.

_When it was his turn, Adrien didn't mention the stress Ladybug was going through to Marinette, even though that probably didn't help her case. Still, he couldn't just casually leave hints about her identity. He'd never forgive himself if he did._

_"My friend...she lost someone close to her." He said instead. "And she thinks it's her fault."_

_Marinette's eyes crinkled with compassion._

_"I'm so sorry. For her, that is."_

_"And well, I've been trying to reach out, but everytime I do, she pushes me away or yells at me for trying to help, and it's frustrating because...I want to help but I can't do that if I'm scared to even strike up a normal conversation with her without it going up in flames."_

_"It....seems like she is going through a lot."_

_"Yeah she is, and I suggested that we go do something together yesterday, and she exploded. She said something about how I wasn't taking seriously. But I am."_

_That last sentence came out more despairing than he meant to. "I have never been more serious about anything in my life." (Chapter 2)_

The difference in how they presented the situations are pretty noticeable here. Adrien’s emphasis is largely on Ladybug’s hostility and anger, the way she’s lashing out at him, though he still gives a good amount of focus on how she has good reason to be stressed. While he does mention that she pushes him away and yells at him for trying to help, that’s fairly vague in how he wants to help, and he doesn’t place as much emphasis on her calmer, clearer refusals of help in addition to those. With one of the major parts that Marinette emphasizes being how she just isn’t ready for that help, that goes some way towards explaining her difference in reaction – though like with Adrien, not being personally involved and having a clearer head about the circumstances does play a part as well, especially with so much of this centering around the stress she’s under.

And like with how Adrien generally ended up taking Ladybug’s side when hearing it from Marinette’s perspective, she generally takes Chat’s, though also like with Adrien, she’s still very understanding to this supposed stranger.

_Marinette averted her eyes from him, looking at the window instead. "Well...I say she needs some time to cool off too."_

_"What?"_

_"Maybe, maybe you shouldn't bother her for a while, but still, don't stop showing her that you do care. Just...do it at a distance until she comes to you. She is hurting, and yes her feelings are understandable, but so are yours. Don't give yourself any chances to get hurt unnecessarily, okay?" (Chapter 2)_

Even with their differences in perspective and advice, funnily enough, they still come to a concensus of sorts, with both of them agreeing that Chat should keep his distance from Ladybug for awhile, until she’s ready to come to him, though for slightly different reasons that reflect the differences in how they presented the situation to each other, with Marinette in this case emphasizing Chat keeping his distance for his own emotional wellbeing, to save from being hurt. But Marinette’s also understanding towards Ladybug, with her advice to show that he cares from a distance being especially good.

They both end up taking each other’s advice next time they meet up as Ladybug and Chat Noir, with them generally staying on task with little banter or playing around, something Ladybug quickly realizes she doesn’t really like, though while also recognizing that it’s what she asked for.

_It wasn't long before Ladybug realised how short her time was with him. The akumas didn't take long to beat, each of them did their parts and left._

_There were no jokes, no humor, no puns. And no warmth._

_Marinette told herself she couldn't complain. She had no right to. She was the one who wanted this. He was only following what she told him._

_Like he always did. (Chapter 3)_

She did need some space. It doesn’t do much good to try to help someone who doesn’t want it. But now she’s beginning to realize that she does need it, needs that support, needs his friendship and warmth and HIM.

Then Chat gets hurt during an akuma attack, and she can’t continue with keeping her distance. Part of the reason for that in the first place had to do with Chat getting hurt. But it’s still happening.

Combined with Miroir’s rant (which honestly didn’t really have to do with Ladybug’s circumstances, it was about her own, but it was similar enough where it mattered, it triggers a “My God, What Have I Done” moment for her.

_Marinette honestly couldn’t care less about her appearance, but Miroir was right when she was pointing the blame at everyone else. By everyone else, she meant Chat Noir, the one soul who had stood by her side, even through her tantrums, mood swings and tears, and hadn’t wavered even though she had practically told him to get lost that day.  
What had she done?? (Chapter 3)_

This ends up being the catalyst for their reconciliation, with this… maybe not quite realization (she seemed to have this general idea even better), but… acknowledgement. Especially with them both being trapped in a room together shortly afterwards, with the “worst versions” of themselves looking at them; Chat’s in disappointment, Ladybug’s in anger.

And Ladybug breaks down, the feelings she’d been bottling up since Chat started distancing himself tumbling out.

_“I'm sorry, Chat." She placed her free hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you, I'm even more sorry I pushed you away-" his hands had traveled up to her shoulders now. "And the truth is...O can't- I can't stand to see you dying!" She was openly crying now. "I know you don't do it at a whim but I-" she didn't want to finish that trail of thought. "I'm just so-so-" (Chapter 3)_

The Anger Born Of Worry over his dying has dissipated to just worry and sadness. Pushing him away, getting angry at him, just made things worse and at this stage, she just… can’t do it anymore.

Chat seeks to reassure her of course. He doesn’t want to see her harmed or unhappy. He cares for her too much.

_He was holding her to him like he was afraid of her disappearing any minute if he let go. "You..." She jumped a little in his arms when she felt his tears against her cheek. "You have nothing to apologise for. You've been through so much in such a short time. You're holding the world on your shoulders and... sometimes I don't know how you do it, Bugaboo." (Chapter 3)_

It’s down to stress and he knows it. He doesn’t blame her. He always understood that, even when he was at his most frustrated with her. He certainly isn’t going to start lashing out now.

Chat apologized in turn, for where he could possibly have done better.

_"I was going about it the wrong way. I was trying to get you to ignore it instead of solving it. What I did just now?" He pulled away, cupping her cheek and wiping away a tear. "That's what I should have been doing. I should have tried suggesting new people for the miraculouses, I should have tried to take your burden away by fighting alongside you, and not just leave you alive and ALONE. I should have laid off the jokes-"_

_"I missed them." She interrupted. "I was wrong, I was dumb, please, don't ever stop punning or joking. I would miss you too much. I can't do any of this without you. And I don't want to let that go just because I was stupid enough to not detransform before-" (Chapter 3)_

Honestly I kinda doubt that Chat’s suggestions of solutions would’ve gone over well at the time either. She seemed to want to cling to the familiar, to what HADN’T changed, to her comfort zone, as she put it. Still, it’s good for him to be looking at other ideas, other ways of helping now. It gives a foundation for moving forward.

Chat also emphasizes it not being her fault, and what they did, and what she in particular did right.

_“No, please, Ladybug, don't blame yourself for that." He urged. "You were stressed, you were overwhelmed, it could have happened to anyone, and you came through so so amazingly. Master Fu could have died, but we saved him, Hawkmoth could have gotten the Miracle box but you have it with you. We'll get through this. I promise." He faltered. "That is, if you want to! If you still need time-"_

_"I've had enough time with myself." She said resolutely. "It's about time I shared it with you. Tikki?" (Chapter 3)_

I just really like this, how he reassures her. This understanding between the two of them, both being very understanding towards each other’s actions and seeking to comfort, to apologize, to make their partner feel better because they can’t stand to see them in pain… it really shows why they were chosen in the first place, and why there’s such an emphasis on them being partners.

Overall, I love this whole part of the plotline (and the rest as well of course, but this is what I wanted to analyze). It really goes to show what a difference talking things out calmly can make, especially when getting a slightly different perspective on the situation.


End file.
